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What is a Bake Sale?
A bake sale is usually held by community members to raise funds for a specific purpose. For example, bake sales are popular with schools raising money for field trips. Those involved in the fund raising sale donate their home baking for others in the community to buy. A bake sale relies on volunteers to bake and sell the goods so that the profits can be used solely for the purpose that the sale was held for.
Cupcakes are usually very popular at a bake sale. They're appealing to buyers and easy to make. Plus, they're also convenient as students can buy them individually without having to buy a whole cake. Chocolate cupcakes are especially popular, but white cupcakes with colored icing also tend to be well-liked.
You can also often find smaller square or round cakes at a bake sale, but not usually large cakes. Loaves of banana cake, also called banana bread, may be sold by the slice and/or in loaves. Frosted brownies are known to be good sellers at a bake sale. Cheesecakes are a favorite dessert of many, but as they are perishable due to the cream cheese, they're not usually good to sell at bake sales.
Most bake sales offer a wide selection of cookies. Chocolate chip cookies are often a real favorite. Cookies decorated with frosting and small candies also tend to be really popular at bake sales.
Organization is crucial if a bake sale is to successfully raise funds. Tables and other equipment have to be secured. A system for taking cash and making change has to be put in place. Volunteers for baking are needed and have to be given enough advance notice. Someone has to coordinate the baking to avoid having all brownies and cookies rather than a variety of baked goods to sell.
Enough volunteers are needed to sign up ahead of time, with spares at the ready. Besides baking, volunteers are needed at bake sales to sell the food and take the money and give change. After the sale, volunteers are needed for both clean-up and sorting and counting the proceeds.
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![Frosted brownies are big sellers at bake sales.]()
By: mustafa_dastekinFrosted brownies are big sellers at bake sales. -
![Bakes sales can help schools raise money for field trips to places like the Statue of Liberty.]()
By: UbjsPBakes sales can help schools raise money for field trips to places like the Statue of Liberty. -
![Cupcakes are a popular bake sale item.]()
By: BigKnellCupcakes are a popular bake sale item. -
![Cookies are a popular seller at bake sales.]()
By: torbakhopperCookies are a popular seller at bake sales. -
![Pies are a popular item sold during bake sales.]()
By: jamierogers1Pies are a popular item sold during bake sales.
Discussion Comments
@Grivusangel -- And if you have someone in the organization who is known for baking something in particular -- especially something that intimidates other cooks -- that person can make the item (a red velvet cake, for instance) and charge $30, and someone will buy it, just to save them the aggravation of making it themselves! I've seen it happen!
Bake sales that accompany other food-oriented fundraisers -- say, a stew sale -- will more often have the individually wrapped cookies, brownies and so forth, although there still might be a few large items, like cakes or pies, for sale.
I don't know. I've seen whole cakes for sale at bake sales. It all depends on the people having the sale. When bake sales are near the holidays, it's not at all unusual for someone to buy a whole cake so they can freeze it and not have to worry about extra baking for the holiday. They just thaw the cake out and they're set.
Organizations usually do pretty well from bake sales because they're pure profit. The organization has it at their own facilities, baked items are donated and the staff is a volunteer brigade, so it works out well.
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